thedrifter
05-26-09, 05:46 AM
Marines serve up award winning chow for Fleet Week
5/25/2009 By Cpl. Alex C. Guerra , 24th MEU
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. —Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – New York, led by the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, took home “gold” for the first time in the “Best Chow” Competition aboard USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum here May 24.
The four-man Marine team from 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, claimed the Best Entrée Award after facing off against Fleet Week’s participating vessels and commands’ food service specialists.
Top chefs and connoisseurs along with military officials formed the panel of judges who determined which food service team were the top chefs in four categories: best appetizer, best entrée, best dessert, and best all-around meal.
In years past, Marines only presented meals-ready-to-eat to showcase what Marines are expected to eat during deployments overseas and also because unlike all the other services, the Marines didn’t have space aboard a ship to prepare food. However, this year the Marines sought wisdom from a consultant to become significant contenders this year.
Chef Agostino Von Hassel, former Marine, facilitated, organized and coordinated assistants and a location for the Marines to cook, gave them the winning edge they needed, proving that “once a Marine, always a Marine” holds true still today.
“Without all the outside help we couldn’t have come as far as we did,” said Cpl. Andrew Guzman, food service specialist, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, SPMAGTF-NY. “They gave us a place to cook and ingredients for our recipes, but overall it was a team effort that made it happen for us.”
The Marines’ award-wining beef wellington was created from the efforts of volunteers who were more than willing to help the Marines prepare for the victory. For the volunteers, the reward was simply lending a hand to their country’s servicemen.
“I felt fortunate to spend these last few days with the Marines and helping them get familiar with culinary arts at Smith and Wollensky’s Steakhouse,” said Eddie Mahoney, president, New York Police Department Marine Corps Association. “These Marines broke their butts off to do this competition right and from it all they won the award for best entrée.”
The Marine team recruited a communications wireman, someone with no formal military training in culinary arts, which became a testament to the Marine Corps’ versatility and ingenuity that leads them to the forefront of today’s military services.
“This just further proves that we are the best, because the Corps can take a communicator and put them in the kitchen and come out with an award,” said Staff Sgt. Jarvis Chisolm, wire chief, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, SPMAGTF-NY. “The same way you can take a refrigerator repairman and put a rifle in his hand and as long as he is a Marine he is going to come out on top. No other service can say that but the Marine Corps.”
The Best Chow competition is an annual event held aboard Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum as part of New York's Fleet Week.
Ellie
5/25/2009 By Cpl. Alex C. Guerra , 24th MEU
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. —Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – New York, led by the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, took home “gold” for the first time in the “Best Chow” Competition aboard USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum here May 24.
The four-man Marine team from 1st Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, claimed the Best Entrée Award after facing off against Fleet Week’s participating vessels and commands’ food service specialists.
Top chefs and connoisseurs along with military officials formed the panel of judges who determined which food service team were the top chefs in four categories: best appetizer, best entrée, best dessert, and best all-around meal.
In years past, Marines only presented meals-ready-to-eat to showcase what Marines are expected to eat during deployments overseas and also because unlike all the other services, the Marines didn’t have space aboard a ship to prepare food. However, this year the Marines sought wisdom from a consultant to become significant contenders this year.
Chef Agostino Von Hassel, former Marine, facilitated, organized and coordinated assistants and a location for the Marines to cook, gave them the winning edge they needed, proving that “once a Marine, always a Marine” holds true still today.
“Without all the outside help we couldn’t have come as far as we did,” said Cpl. Andrew Guzman, food service specialist, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, SPMAGTF-NY. “They gave us a place to cook and ingredients for our recipes, but overall it was a team effort that made it happen for us.”
The Marines’ award-wining beef wellington was created from the efforts of volunteers who were more than willing to help the Marines prepare for the victory. For the volunteers, the reward was simply lending a hand to their country’s servicemen.
“I felt fortunate to spend these last few days with the Marines and helping them get familiar with culinary arts at Smith and Wollensky’s Steakhouse,” said Eddie Mahoney, president, New York Police Department Marine Corps Association. “These Marines broke their butts off to do this competition right and from it all they won the award for best entrée.”
The Marine team recruited a communications wireman, someone with no formal military training in culinary arts, which became a testament to the Marine Corps’ versatility and ingenuity that leads them to the forefront of today’s military services.
“This just further proves that we are the best, because the Corps can take a communicator and put them in the kitchen and come out with an award,” said Staff Sgt. Jarvis Chisolm, wire chief, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, SPMAGTF-NY. “The same way you can take a refrigerator repairman and put a rifle in his hand and as long as he is a Marine he is going to come out on top. No other service can say that but the Marine Corps.”
The Best Chow competition is an annual event held aboard Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum as part of New York's Fleet Week.
Ellie